1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to vehicles such as snowmobiles, all terrain vehicles (ATVs), and other related vehicles, hereinafter “recreational vehicles”, although the present invention should not be construed to be limited only to the vehicles or types of vehicles described herein.
2. Description of the Related Art
A stabilizer bar for correcting the torsion on a pair of ground contacting parts (the left-right height differences of the pair of ground contacting parts) is generally known as a technology utilized for correcting the roll of recreational vehicles. The stabilizer bar is supported parallel to the left-right direction of a vehicle and curves on both ends and is supported by two end portions. Generally, the two end portions are supported by members (for example, a lower arm of a double wishbone suspension) attached to the pair of left-right ground contacting parts. An example can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,866,110. According to FIG. 15 of this publication, the end portions of a stabilizer bar 292 are inserted through pivot blocks 288, 290 and supported by lower arms 246, 250, and the pivot blocks 288, 290 are capable of sliding along the left and right sides of the vehicle body.
In view of the above-described stabilizer bar, it is difficult to adjust the strength of the stabilizer bar (hereinafter the rigidity of the stabilizer bar) to correct the torsion. Moreover, if the rigidity of the stabilizer bar is to be easily adjustable in a wide range, the reactive force of the stabilizer bar with respect to the force received by the ground contacting parts could not be readily produced. In addition, a rigid stabilizer bar could not be provided without increasing the cost and weight of the stabilizer bar.
More specifically, the rigidity of the stabilizer bar depends on the length, shape, and diameter of stabilizers attached to the supporting parts on the vehicle side and the arm side. However, in the known technology described above, such factors could not be adjusted. Particularly, in view of the stabilizer bar shown in FIG. 15 of U.S. Pat. No. 6,866,110, the distance between the shaft in the longitudinal direction of the stabilizer bar 292 extending in the left-right direction of the vehicle and the pivot blocks 288, 290 significantly contributes to the rigidity of the stabilizer bar 292. However in the above-described known technology, this distance could not be adjusted.
Recreational vehicles are generally used to travel on uneven terrains of different height, hardness, etc. Therefore, there is a need for riders to appropriately adjust the rigidity according to self preference and the condition of the terrain.
According to U.S. Pat. No. 6,866,110, the pivot blocks 288, 290 that support the stabilizer bar 292 can slide in the left-right direction with respect to the lower arms 246, 250. However, with such a configuration, the force received by the ground contacting parts could not be readily transferred to the stabilizer bar. The inventors of the present application discovered that due to the sliding of the stabilizer bar 292, the correction of the torsion by the stabilizer bar could not be readily and effectively performed.
Moreover, although the stabilizer bar 292 includes two substantially perpendicularly curved portions, such a shape is not particularly desirable for providing a rigid stabilizer bar. The rigidity of the stabilizer bar can be increased by utilizing more rigid and thicker materials, but this will in turn increase the cost and weight of the stabilizer bar.